Freelance writer Alex Vlodnachek hasn’t had a vacation in ages. So when her sister invites her—and pup Lucy—for a girls’ get-away to Miami, it’s too tempting to resist. Big sister Annie wants Alex to savor a little fun in the sun at her South Beach condo. Redhead Alex just wants to escape complications at home, enjoy a little R&R and find an industrial-sized bottle of sunscreen. But trouble … bottle of sunscreen. But trouble is hot on her heels—along with a few stray friends and relatives.
On the eve of the condo association’s hotly contested election, everything in the luxury high-rise is going haywire. But board president and social butterfly Leslie McQueen seems curiously absent amidst the chaos. Along with a good chunk of the association’s cash.
When several of Annie’s friends are left holding the bag, Alex jumps in to help—and discovers the tony condo tower offers no shortage of shady characters, murder, and mayhem.
But when her brother, Nick, arrives—with their irrepressible grandmother, Baba, and Alex’s pal Trip, in tow—is the gang riding to the rescue? Or plunging Alex into more hot water?
Praise for SEEING RED
“Crazy surprises, fun characters, and a feisty heroine to save the day. Everything I love in a cozy.”
—Lynn Cahoon, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Witty dialogue with laugh-out-loud moments, well-drawn characters and multiple mysteries weave their way through this satisfying story.”
—Shelf Awareness
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Alex Vlodnachek heads to South Beach with her big sister/super model Annie for a much-needed vacay and pup Lucy gets to tag along. Alex plans to relax by the pool while Annie takes care of some business at her condo. A quickly scheduled condo vote has Annie concerned and she hopes Alex can use her investigative skills to help her figure out what is going on.
When the current condo association president, Leslie McQueen goes missing and things around the property start to fall into disrepair. the sisters start digging and learn the association is basically broke, less than $40 in their account. Now they need to decide who they can trust. Was Leslie working by herself or did she have an accomplice or two?
This was a crazy fun book to read. Once I started I didn’t put it down.
Ms. Dratch takes the characters I have come to love on the road but soon most are all together in Miami. Baba gets a South Beach makeover but that woman still can’t cook. but her family will never let her know. I loved that Alex and Annie got to spend some time alone together before the rest of the family arrived but they do run into someone very helpful from their past. I also loved that Lucy played a big part in the story. This family is a hoot and a half and still all the characters continue to evolve and grow. The author also introduces readers to a diverse cast of characters that live in Annie’s condo building and they all seem to have secrets.
The pace was lightning fast, those girls were always up to something, which is why I read this book faster than I have read any book of late. Ms. Dratch is the expert at placing red herrings that is why they are the Red Herring Mysteries. She also plots the story out so well. The investigation follows a clear path and even when Annie and Alex hit a dead end they use spot on reasoning to move their search ahead.
I liked the change of scenery in this book. Florida is a great locale for a cozy mystery.
Red Hot is a wondrous cozy mystery filled with lovable characters, an intriguing mystery, a large dose of humor, and just a dash of romance. The entire series is fantastic! I recommend you read them all. My only complaint is that we have to wait until next year for book four, but it is so worth it.
There is something about this series that draws me in each time. Perhaps it is the family dynamics, maybe it is the mystery, or maybe it is Baba – the Russian grandmother that loves to make goulash for the family. Whatever it is, I am definitely a fan of the series.
This installment takes us to South Beach Miami where something is amiss with the HOA board where Annie has a penthouse. Annie brings Alex and Lucy (the pup) for a bit of a vacation and to help figure out what is going on. They don’t expect to stumble across the death and mystery that ensues of who killed Leslie McQueen.
I stayed up way too late finishing this book. That is the good (and bad) thing about an eReader is that it tells you how much more time is left in the book. So when I see I only have 20 minutes, of course I’m going to finish the book before turning out the light. The mystery moves along at a nice pace and while there are a few clues that might tip off who the murderer is, it wasn’t obvious, at least not to me. There were several possibilities and as the truth was revealed it was quite fascinating to see how all of the pieces fit together.
I was amazed at the deviousness of Leslie McQueen. It is no wonder she ended up dead! I was tickled at some of the other tenants in the building and of course the dogs. One is named Mrs. Pickles, that just cracked me up.
I was glad to see Gabby make an appearance (Nick’s ex) and she was quite useful with her criminal know-how. We didn’t see much of Ian, but then they were out of town and he was back home. I hope that Alex and Ian are able to come to terms in future books and resume their relationship.
If you are looking for a fun cozy series to read, then check this one out. We give it five paws up.
Red Hot by Dana Dratch is fabulously written. The characters are so full of life, with quirks and all. I felt like I was in South Beach with the Vlodnachek family.
Where is Leslie, and why would she want to be the HOA president?
Alex Vlodnachek
Alex is our sleuth, she is also a freelance reporter, on vacation with her supermodel sister Annie in South Beach. Although, Alex is also here to help Annie figure out why the HOA has decided to do an emergency election for the office of HOA president. Because seriously, who wants to do all that work for free.
It’s funny that Alex is so upset with Ian (her neighbor at home) for protecting his family, and yet here she is doing the same thing. Oh, and Ian is popping up in her thoughts. Hmmm. Does she protest her dislike too much? I like Alex, she is down to earth, funny and she gets things done. She has a great family and seems to make friends easily.
The Mystery
So, this installment also has multiple mysteries. I happen to love this about Ms. Dratch; it’s like bonuses in each book. So, we have:
• The four candidates that no one has seen or met and the emergency HOA election.
• Where did the HOA money go?
• Why did the other two officers go along with Leslie’s plan?
• Who did Leslie in, and why?
So as you can see, Alex’s vacation isn’t actually as she thought it would be. But everyone seems to have fun.
The Family in Red Hot
The Vlodnachek family is full of witty and quirky people.
We have Anastasia (Annie), who is a successful supermodel, globe-trotting around and running her agency.
Nick, their brother that is now a baker. He has a good head on his shoulder but, at times, seems naive. Nick also has a huge heart and loves people and animals easily.
Then there is Baba, their Russian grandmother who doesn’t speak much English, cooks well and dresses with her flair. Yet, she is fiercely protective.
Alex’s best friend, Trip Cabot, who helps her with her freelance articles, is a great guy, and he sticks by Alex though all of the things that Alex goes through.
Then there is Gabby, Nick’s ex, and everyone’s friend. Gabby has these unique talents that Alex sometimes needs to borrow. She also pops up from time to time expectantly.
Last we have Lucy, Nick’s dog. Lucy is still a puppy, but she is relatively well behaved. Living in a penthouse has proved to be challenging at times for the pup. However, she has been pampered and made a new friend.
Five Stars
I absolutely love this book. Ms. Dratch brings everything to life. It’s like I was there enjoying the Florida sun with them. My rating for Red Hot by Dana Dratch is five stars, and I highly recommend this book to all you cozy readers out there.
I am looking forward to reading Flame Red Alex’s next adventure.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I hope you enjoyed this review of Red Hot by Dana Dratch.
This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove.
Until the next time,
~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Red Hot was my introduction to the Dana Dratch’s “A Red Herring Mystery” journalist and amateur sleuth series published by Kensington Books.
This book is a fun read, but I highly suggest that readers start with the first book in this series. Alex is a complex character who seems to be bogged down with work and relationship issues. As a journalist, she finds herself getting involved in a story she never intended to write, but she’s not one to back off a headline. Her sister Annie, on the other hand, appears to be successful, happy, and easy to like. Other characters in the story, including their brother, Nick, are likable and interesting. I would have liked to see a lot more of Trip and their grandmother, Baba. Those two characters I found to be overall the most intriguing and entertaining. But the pup, Lucy, is simply adorable and will grab the reader’s attention.
The death of the president of the HOA is a very likely scenario, who hasn’t heard of HOA presidents who power-crazed? I can’t honestly say that Leslie deserved to die, she had some quarks, and as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that she belonged in jail at a minimum. Suspects are few, but they all have a great motive. The killer for me was evident from the start. But the motive eluded me a bit at first. Alex’s journalistic instincts kick in as soon as the body is discovered, but it seems to take her a while to figure out what Is going on in the condo complex.
Although Red Hot is an enjoyable read, I found that it was a bit wordy when it could have been tighter. Having the main character be an unemployed journalist was interesting, but I felt she was a bit slow to figure out obvious clues. I urge readers to start from the beginning of the series to give them a better feel for the main characters. I would also recommend that readers give themselves extra time to read this book as it is long at 368-pages. But overall, I believe that readers will enjoy this book enough to want to read future additions.
Alex is is need of a vacation and her sister, Annie, a jet setting super model, makes her an offer she can’t refuse. Things have become crazy at home – her kitchen needs updating so her baker brother can use it to increase his business. Sounds doable until she finds out what’s really involved. She says yes to Annie’s offer, packs a duffle bag, grabs her brothers pup, Lucy (can’t have her underfoot in the soon to be renovated kitchen) and hits the road (sort of – she is, after all traveling with jet setter, Annie) for South Beach and the Florida sunshine. It’s July and it’s enough to make Alex melt but Annie is on a mission to find out what the heck is going on with the Home Owners Association at her swanky condo. The election for the HOA’s president has been moved up and then, out of the blue, there are five on the ballot. Very strange and Annie and Alex are determined to get to the bottom of it.
This series engages me from page one and I’m happy to go along for the ride. Don’t look for the corpse to show up early. It takes almost 40% of the book to find it but it’s worth the time. The puzzle is well developed and Alex and Annie make a great pair of sleuths. Their investigation had a very natural feel to it and I found myself saying ‘just one more chapter’. That’s the sign of a well crafted mystery in my book.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This is the third book in this series and its is another fun read. Nice and light reading to take your mind off the world for awhile. Alex is a journalist who thinks she is a sleuth and is in it up to her neck again in this one. with the help or hindrance of her quirky family and funny little dog she tries her best to get to the bottom of a murder while trying not to sun burn!! So much for a relaxing holiday. Great characters and a wonderful story line I’m going to go back and re the first two then wait for the next book to come out!!